TİKA’s President Serkan Kayalar Inaugurated TİKA’s Projects in Iraq

The President of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), Serkan Kayalar, paid official visits in Baghdad, Erbil and Kirkuk within his Iraq program. Within his official visits, Kayalar attended the opening ceremony of the Şakaik Preschool, which was renovated by TİKA, and the iftar dinner program held by the Turkmen Brotherhood Center in Baghdad. He also inaugurated the music classroom established by TİKA within the Kirkuk Turkmen Brotherhood Co-ed School in Kirkuk.

TİKA’s President, Serkan Kayalar held a bilateral meeting with the Republic of Türkiye’s Ambassador to Baghdad, Ali Rıza Güney in the capital of Iraq, Baghdad, during his formal visits. Following the meeting, Kayalar visited TİKA’s Baghdad Program Coordination Office with Ambassador Güney, and received a briefing about TİKA’s projects and activities in Iraq.

TİKA’s President Kayalar met with the Iraqi Minister of Culture

TİKA’s President, Serkan Kayalar met with Ahmed Fakak Al-Badrani, the Iraqi Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities.

At the meeting held at the ministry building in Baghdad, Minister Badrani expressed that TİKA has implemented significant activities in Iraq and has left its mark.

Noting that the Ministry of Culture, Shiite and Sunni foundations have carried out joint activities with TİKA, Badrani said, “Our trust in TİKA puts it in a prior place.”

TİKA’s President Kayalar stated, “We are in the ancient and beautiful city of Baghdad. We are on lands significant for Islam and human history. As TİKA, we are glad to create projects for the Iraqi people. Iraq is a rich country in terms of culture, which makes cultural tourism very important.”

Şakaik Preschool was inaugurated

The Şakaik Preschool, renovated by TİKA, was inaugurated with a ceremony attended by TİKA’s President Serkan Kayalar.

Receiving information from teachers about the preschool, Kayalar visited classrooms, gave gifts to children, chatted with them, and a photograph was taken as a remembrance of the day.

All classrooms, teacher rooms and restrooms of the Şakayik Preschool, which provides education to Turkmen children in Baghdad, were renovated through TİKA’s project. Equipment support was also provided to the school.

The Tombs and Mosques of Abdul Qadir Gilani and Imam al-A’zam were inspected

Inspecting the Tomb and Mosque of Abdul Qadir Gilani, renovated by TİKA, President Kayalar met with Seyit Halit Abdulkadir Mansur Al-Geylani, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Kadiriye Foundation.

After having visited the Mosque and Tomb of Imam al-A’zam, TİKA’s President also inspected the Museum of Imam al-A’zam with Sheikh Abdulwahab Al Taha, a Member of the Iraqi Scholars Association and the Imam of the mosque, and received information about the ongoing work.

During his visit in Iraq, Kayalar also visited the Mosque and Tomb of Sheikh Ma’ruf al-Karkhi, where a library and air conditioning system were established by TİKA, and met with Sheikh Ali al-Harbi, the imam of the mosque.

Kayalar attended iftar dinner organized by the Turkmen Brotherhood Center

TİKA’s President Kayalar attended the food package delivery ceremony which was held at the Brothers Association and carried out within TİKA’s “Ramadan Programs”. Kayalar completed his official visits in Baghdad by meeting with our Turkmen cognates at the iftar dinner hosted by the Turkmen Brotherhood Center.

TİKA’s President Kayalar met with the Minister Responsible for Ethnic Groups of the KRG

TİKA’s President, who has been in Iraq for formal visits, came together with Aydın Maruf, the Minister Responsible for Ethnic Groups of the KRG and a member of the Executive Board of the Iraqi Turkmen Front, and representatives of the Syriac, Chaldean, Assyrian, Kaka’i, Mandaean Sabian and Yazidi people in Erbil, following his visit to Baghdad.

Following his meeting, TİKA’s President inaugurated the “TEBA FM,” established by TİKA within the TEBA Agency, which is a Turkmen media institution based in Erbil, with Minister Maruf. Kayalar emphasized that TEBA FM is a beautiful reflection of concrete cooperation with our Turkmen brothers, and stated that the modernly equipped studio will serve as a training area while providing the opportunity to broadcast live on the internet.

The Music Classroom was inaugurated

Following his formal visits in Erbil, TİKA’s President Kayalar went to Kirkuk and inaugurated the music classroom established by TİKA within the Kirkuk Turkmen Brotherhood Co-ed School.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Kayalar stated that the various instruments provided for the music classroom, established with the motto of “music spreading from Kirkuk to the world,” will be used in future courses by the Iraqi Turkmen Front.

Within his formal visits in Kirkuk, TİKA’s President also visited Türkmeneli TV, the television station which broadcasts in Turkish across Iraq, and received information about activities of the channel.

Kayalar attended the Ramadan food package delivery ceremony held for our Turkmen cognates in Kirkuk within TİKA’s “Ramadan Programs”. He also visited the Iraqi Turkmen Front Presidency and met with Hasan Turan, the President of ITF.

Concluding his formal visits in Kirkuk with the “Türkmeneli Meeting” iftar dinner program, hosted by the Iraqi Turkmen Front, TİKA’s President Kayalar stated that activities for our Turkmen cognates will continue.